Turn Back Time
by AimeeP
Summary: Hermione comes across a unique object that throws her back in time, destined to repeat that time until she changes what needs to be changed. Prepared to fade out of existence in a short amount of time, she starts reluctant friendships and relationships with those in the past. Will she manage to turn back time? Higher rating farther you go.
1. Chapter 1

** After seven years of attending school at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, it is a well known fact that Hermione Granger spent every day of those seven years living through constant danger. Between her two friends, Harry Potter, and Ronald Weasley, constant life threatening situations, being petrified for many months, and quite a few close calls with escaping Death's foreboding clutches, Hermione had learned to accept that without at least some mystery, or even danger, in her life after Voldemort's defeat, her life wouldn't really be meaningful, nor would she even know how to cope with the simplicity. That is what found her accepting a job at the Ministry of Magic in the Department of Mysteries shortly after graduating from Hogwarts.**

** Both boys were rather disappointed in her lack of interest in an Auror career track, but grudgingly accepted that their friend was more of a researcher than one to instantly fight and take action. Now, that isn't to say that Hermione wasn't a force to reckon with. Quite the opposite in fact. Hermione did what was necessary with a vengeance. She was as quick with her wand as she was with her tongue. She had a brilliant mind, and a fierce love for those she called her own. Whether they be friends, or family.**

** Her brilliant mind and ability to do whatever was needed without hesitation, and knowing full well what consequences she would inevitably endure afterward is what made the Department of Mysteries captain, Hillary Stubman cast her keen eyes in the direction of the young Gryffendor girl, and send her a letter of inquiry. **

** Hermione had been working for the Department of Mysteries for three years now. Harry and Ron had both been accepted and long since graduated from the Auror academy, and Ron now worked as an Auror while Harry was the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts. Ron and Hermione had started a relationship, and had been together for all three years after Hogwarts. Both knew that their relationship was pretty much over, no matter how much they loved each other, he just couldn't stimulate her mind the way she needed, and he was also very bored with her bookworm tendencies. **

** So much had happened in the two years after the war. Memorial services and funerals were held for those who had died, including but not limited to: Severus Snape, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora "Tonks" Lupin, and Fred Weasley. Harry and Ginny got married, and were expecting a child in just 4 months. They suspected that it was a boy. Molly still cried regularly every day just before breakfast and just after dinner. Harry took Remus' son, Teddy in not to long after he and Ginny were married, leaving him with his grandmother, Andromeda every weekend. Hermione worked in the Department of Mysteries while Harry and Ron were both Aurors. Ginny, though almost as ambitious as Hermione only less of a bookworm, stayed home, despite how much she wanted to get out and have a job of her own. George worked at the joke shop, and created pranks with a vengeance. It was almost as if Fred was still right there with him creating the pranks with how well they were thought out and planned. George swore that the jokes were created in loving memory of his twin, and it was a tribute to what all they shared, and how bravely he fought until he breathed his very last breath.**

** Hermione roamed the corridors absentmindedly. Everyone knew she never truly healed, and sometimes they believed that she refused to give herself the chance. Which she had to admit was in part...Completely the truth. So many of her loved ones had died. Her parents lost to her because of her too strong Obliviate, and she felt that no matter how much love in her life, she didn't deserve to feel so happy when so many were lost. Hermione sighed, pausing in front of one last door.**

** "Better get this over with so I can go home." She opened the door for one last patrol, and stepped in. "Lumos," she whispered. Everything seemed to be in order, except for a small red flower pot. A flower pot that didn't belong in this department. Distractedly, she reached out and grasped the flower pot, and suddenly the world as she knew it was ripped away from her.**

** She was spinning fast.**

** There was a deafening howl in her ears.**

** There was a blinding light.**

** And then she felt the solid ground beneath her feet again.**

** She lost consciousness as everything became blissfully still again.**

**o~O~o**

** When she came too again, she knew she wasn't alone. Her wand wasn't on her like it was supposed to be, and there were quiet voices around her.**

** "Where does she come from Albus? She just landed on the ground and collapsed."**

** "I don't know, Minerva. But I suggest you do not touch what was in her hands. It seems to be behind her arrival. I suspect a portkey, but the state she was in suggests that it's more than that." **

** "Albus, she's covered in scars, do you think she's a Death Eater?"**

** Hermione scrunched up her nose in annoyance. 'Death Eater? Do these people have any idea what I've done for them?'**

** "I highly doubt that Poppy. But she seems to be awake now, we can just ask her." Hermione heard the rustling of a curtain around her, and she tried opening her eyes, shutting them instantly when the light was unforgiving to her her sensitive eyes. "Miss, I hope you'll forgive us, but we need you to open your eyes and talk with us."**

** Hermione opened her eyes bit by bit, slowly letting her eyes adjust to the light. But when her eyes were open all the way she let out a horrified scream, and threw herself from the bed she was in.**

** "No no no. I must be dead...There's no other explanation. But...wait...Minerva, Poppy? This doesn't make any sense." Hermione's panic only increased as she continued to back away from the man whom she knew had been dead for 5 years. "This can't be happening. I know better than to grab without thinking! I work in the Department of Mysteries for Merlin's sake!" **

** "Miss, please, come sit back on the bed!" Poppy demanded. And Hermione, never being one to deny orders, sat down obediently on the bed, head still reeling. **

** "Now, can you tell us where you were before you came to us, dear?" Albus Dumbledore asked.**

** "The Department of Mysteries, sir. It was 7:00 at night, and I was just finishing up my nightly rounds, sir."**

** "Department of Mysteries? Not just anyone is able to work there and you barely look older than 20." Minerva gasped.**

** "Professor...This might seem strange of me to ask...but...what is the date?"**

** "It's January 5th." Professor Dumbledore supplied.**

** "Year?"**

** Professor Dumbledore seemed to catch on. "1979" Hermione gulped in panic. "My dear, what is your name?"**

** "Is it even safe to share that information?"**

** "Perhaps a nickname then."**

** "Mi." Hermione answered. "That's what everyone calls me in my time..."**

** "Which is?"**

** "2001, Sir."**

** "And how do you suspect you came to us?"**

** Hermione looked around and spotted the flower pot. Only now...It was no longer red. It was blue. "Wasn't that Red before? The flower pot?"**

** "When you arrived here it changed to blue the moment you collapsed." Minerva answered with pursed lips. "What was the purpose of the portkey?" **

** Hermione looked up at her former...or future professor. "I think it's a Timekey, ma'am." she whispered. "They are exceedingly rare, even in my time. And they have a habit of only showing themselves to someone who..." Hermione's voice faded as realization hit her. "I was thrown back for a purpose. I was thrown back to change something. To change the course of history."  
"If you change history, Mi, your world will be lost, and therefore so will you in the end. It's very dangerous to tamper with time."**

** "I know that, Professor. I know that better than most my age. The repercussions could be severe. But the benefits of what being thrown back to this specific place, this specific time...The thing it wants me to change will result in a domino effect so severe that I'll have to continuously keep changing things, and keep fighting. The Timekey wants me to save lives. And there are so many lives I can save just by starting in this year."**

** "Mi, it's very dangerous."**

** "I have no choice, Professor. It's either I change what the Timekey wants me to, and fade out of existence, or be stuck repeating this year over and over again until I appease the key." Hermione looked the Headmaster in the eyes. "I have no other choice, and I know for a fact I won't be able to do it alone."**

** "Very well. Poppy, is she free to leave the Hospital Wing?"**

** "Yes, of course Albus. I was just waiting for her to wake up."**

** "Well, I'm taking her up to my office."**

** The walk to the headmaster's office was tedious to say the least. Hermione's mind raced with the many ways she could approach certain events that could potentially change the future for better or for worse. But the only thing that brought her any comfort was that until the Timekey was appeased, either she, or someone equally qualified would be thrown back again, and again until they changed what it was that needed to be changed. It was risky business, Timekeys. But necessary.**

** Dumbledore cleared his throat when they arrived at the gargoyle guarding his office. "Care to guess?"**

** "I know it's a candy of some kind, but you go through them so often, and there are so many types I'd rather not list them till I discover it, if you don't mind sir." Dumbledore chuckled.**

** "Sugar quills" He said, and the gargoyle jumped aside allowing them entrance. Dumbledore moved behind his desk, offering his usual tea and lemon drops as he sat, Hermione politely declined. "Now, If you believe that change is necessary, and that is the reason you were brought here, than I highly doubt that you telling me your name and your basic history will damage the timeline anymore than what you undoubtedly will do anyway."**

** "No, sir, I suppose not. Where do you want me to start?" Hermione sat patiently, knowing exactly where he wanted her to start, but wanting to be polite and ask first.**

** "First off, you can start with your name and basic, very basic, identity."**

** "My name is Hermione Granger. I was born September 19th, two years from now. I am 20 years old, I graduated Hogwarts a year late, I was in Gryffendor. I have ties to this time, nobody I'm related to, but I know at least 3 of them personally and a few others that I have met at some point or another. I'm a muggleborn, I work in the Department of Mysteries."**

** "I did say basic, Miss Granger, but that helps me a bit as well. Tell me about the war effort in your time." Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, not quite expecting a retelling of her story to be more of a novel in words.**

** Hermione explained to Dumbledore her life's story, starting with the Sorcerer's Stone and ending with the Deathly Hallows, Horcruxes, and Voldemort's death.**

** Dumbledore sat and stared at Hermione for what seemed like an eternity. She felt his presence in her mind, and opened her walls completely, flooding him with image after image of the stories that she told. She watched his eyes grow wide when he found her torture by Bellatrix Lestrange, but she didn't mind. The scars where there physically and mentally, but she pushed through her days and didn't let the deranged woman's petty antics affect her daily life. Even if today couldn't really be considered ordinary.**

** "To think we had children fighting our battles."**

** "Too many of the adults were too afraid to fight. Those of us who were at Hogwarts with you as our Headmaster were extremely loyal to you, and fought for you even after you died. I still to the day I left, and even now, remain more loyal to you than even the Minister himself. I have broken laws because of my loyalty to you. For the greater good." Hermione smiled reassuringly at him. **

** "It is good to know that you are loyal, especially in these circumstances." Dumbledore smiled.**

** "Speaking of circumstances... I'm not supposed to be in existence for another two years. And I am no longer at the Hogwarts age. What do we do?"**

** "You are an animagus, are you not?"**

** Hermione froze momentarily, forgetting that she had given him access to her mind freely. When she remembered and recovered, she nodded.**

** "I am going to give you your own chambers here in the castle. You have free reign so long as students don't see you. If you are in your animagus form, I want you near me. You will act as my familiar when there are others around, except for the staff. I also wish for you to act as an extra set of eyes and ears around the castle. Protection. You may roam the grounds, but be wary..."**

** "Be wary of an occasional once a month furry visitor?" Hermione smiled. "I am aware of Remus' condition."**

** Dumbledore's eyes twinkled in their usual maddening way. "There are guest chambers on the seventh floor, near the Room of Requirement. It will be a portrait of Madam Lezoli. You may choose your own password. Be sure to be in your animagus form until you get to the portrait." Dumbledore nodded to the door, and Hermione took that as her cue to leave.**

** Shrinking into her furry form, she nuzzled the door open and bounded out. She felt powerful on four legs. Like she could take down a dragon with out a problem, not that she would. But there was just something about her wolf form that exhilarated her. Her honey brown fur was long and bushy, but silky to the touch, and her eyes were a bright shade of amber. She felt free as she raced through the corridors, not even bothering to run up the stairs to her quarters. When she reached the front doors, they recognized her and opened for her as she padded through to the outside. The night smelled wonderful. The grass under her paws made her pause to just let her feet sink in as she breathed the night air, watching the stars.**

** A sound in the distance made her ears twitch, and glancing in that direction, she noticed the Womping Willow begin to twitch violently. She broke into a run, and raced to that direction, stopping just a few feet to watch who she knew to be the Marauder's in their animagus form. Sniffing the air and smelling the sent of a well known rat, she couldn't contain the growl that escaped her throat, which made the shaggy dog pause. 'Shit.' Hermione thought, and turned in the other direction. It wasn't time for her to make any of those changes yet. She had to start directly after school. They still needed Pettigrew to help them get into the Shrieking Shack every month. Even though Hermione knew she could help them herself. A sound right behind her, of heavily padding feet made her push herself to run faster. She couldn't be found out by Sirius yet. It wasn't time. But suddenly, he jumped, and landed straight on her back, pinning her to the ground.**

** Grey eyes stared down into amber, black fur mixed with honey brown. Hermione was frozen to the spot, not knowing whether to phase or not, but just as she thought to swipe at him, he moved off of her and phased back.**

** "I know you're human," he said boldly. Hermione glared. "You don't smell like any of the students, but I know you are definitely an animagus." Hermione scoffed. "I could force you to phase you know." He threatened, and Hermione glared at him in challenge. Sirius whipped his wand out and cast the spell before Hermione could even blink, and suddenly her work robes were very wet, and she was very cold.**

** "What if I was in that form to stay warm, hmm?" She snapped, getting to her feet. "What if I was in that form for a very good reason?"**

** "Like spying on my friends and I?"**

** "Maybe. You will never know." Hermione raised her eyebrow challengingly. Sirius smirked.**

** "I'm sure I will eventually." He held his hand out. "Sirius Black."**

** "Mi." Hermione answered, not shaking his hand. "Would you mind taking that spell off of me. I'm not supposed to be in this form."**

** "Why, Dumbledore's orders?" Sirius raised his eyebrow in return.**

** Hermione huffed. "As a matter of fact, yes. I'm added security for the school, and was ordered to stay in my animagus form unless in emergency. Even in school you aren't totally free of Death Eaters, you must know that."**

** Sirius' face dropped. "Yes, unfortunately, I do know that. So you aren't a student?"**

** "No." Sirius lifted his wand and sent the counter charm to allow her to change back. Hermione smiled. "I'd love to run with you again. If we run into each other again, not on full moon." She winked before phasing back and taking off. Sirius just stared in her direction as she ran back to the castle in disbelief. She knew about Remus. He didn't know how, but he was sure to figure out exactly who this Mi girl was.**


	2. Chapter 2

** It was weeks later that Peter Pettigrew snuck out of the Gryffendor common room, his wand raised, his eyes glancing around him. Despite his caution, his wand was still ripped out of his hands by a silent spell.**

** "Well well well. Look at what we have here, a rat out of bed." A voice from the shadows spoke, sarcastically. **

** "Who's there?" Pettigrew demanded.**

** Hermione moved out of the shadows, his wand held in one hand, her wand pointing at him with the other. "So, exactly what was it that provoked you enough to join them." She hissed. "Who was it you wanted to hurt? Who was it you wanted to get back at? James, Remus and Sirius have been nothing but the best of friends to you."**

** "I don't know who you are, but you don't know anything."**

** "Oh cut the crap, Pettigrew. I know you aren't as tough as you're trying to sound. I know what kind of coward you are Pettigrew." **

** Peter stood frozen to the spot, a mix between rage and fear on his face. Which if Hermione didn't have him at wandpoint, she probably would have laughed.**

** "Who is it Pettigrew? Who do you hate?"**

** "James," Pettigrew hissed.**

** "Why? He has been nothing but friendly, protective and supportive."**

** "He knew I wanted Lily!" Pettigrew almost shouted.**

** "So you're gonna make sure to kill them both?" Hermione snapped back. Pettigrew pulled up short. "You didn't even think about that, did you? You cowardly idiot! Your actions have consequences. James isn't going to be the only one who suffers for your choice! Lily will die, Sirius will suffer for the rest of his life, and Remus will too. Are you really that selfish?"**

** "I don't care..." Pettigrew whispered. And with a sickening look in his eyes, she knew that he really didn't care.**

** "Petrificus Totalis." She shot out. "Incarcerous!" Pettigrew fell to the floor stiff and motionless, and ropes tied around him tightly in case the spell wore off. Hermione levitated Wormtail and dissilusioned the both of them, and keeping to the shadows, she brought him to the headmaster's office.**

** "Miss Granger!" Dumbledore greeted in surprise. "Mr. Pettigrew?" He questioned.**

** "Professor, I've started what I was sent here for. I believe that dealing with Pettigrew is my first step."**

** "Dealing with him?"**

** "In a year, Lily Evans will marry James Potter and have a child. A year after that, Pettigrew will be named secret keeper, and he will tell Voldemort where the Potters are, resulting in the death of Lily and James Potter. Harry, however, will survive and remain cursed until he is 17, and defeats the Dark Lord." Dumbledore looked at her in surprise.**

** "And you are sure it's time to...deal with him?"  
"I've been watching him for 3 weeks sir. He leaves the castle to the closest apparition point at least three times a week." Hermione lifted the spell, keeping the ropes, on Wormtail. "If you wish to use Veritaserum. It would probably prove useful. He's already admitted to me to have plans on joining the Dark Lord."**

** Dumbledore sighed, and moved to behind his desk, removing a small vial from a drawer. After giving Wormtail the potion, he waiting 5 seconds before diving into his questioning.**

** "What is your name?"**

** "Peter Pettigrew."**

** "Have you been leaving the grounds?"**

** "Yes."**

** "How often?"**

** "At least 3 times a week."**

** "Why?"**

** "I have joined the ranks of the Death Eaters." Pettigrew hissed with a disgustingly satisfied smirk.**

** Hermione glared. "Is Severus Snape amongst your ranks?"**

** "Yes." Pettigrew sneered.**

** "Stupefy!" Hermione said clearly, Pettigrew slumped in the chair he had been placed in.**

** "Severus is one of them?" Dumbledore asked in a quiet and defeated voice.**

** "I can take care of it if you let me. Unlike Pettigrew, Snape doesn't handle it as well, and wants out pretty much immediately. I can do this." Dumbeldore nodded. "Now, what's the Slytherin password?" After being given the password, Hermion phased into her wolf form and left Dumbledore to handle Pettigrew. If the boy fought him, he wouldn't last a second. She didn't worry.**

** She moved through the corridors, keeping to the shadows and remaining unnoticed. Even the paintings looked over her. When she reached the painting standing guard over the Slytherin common room, she phased long enough to give the password, and was back to her wolf form. Hermione had a week before she had to show herself to the remaining three marauders, to help them into the Shrieking Shack. And in that time, her plan was to sway Snape away from the Dark Lord, and back to Dumbledore's side.**

** Hermione didn't know how she was going to plan this. But she knew that even without extensive planning, she could do this. So with that thought in mind, she curled up on an emerald rug in front of the glowing embers to sleep a while until a certain black hair crooked nosed wizard showed himself.**

**o~O~o**

** It was quite a surprise for the Slytherins when they came into the common room to find a honey colored wolf curled up in front of the fire, but most left her alone. Those who didn't, she glared and sniffed at and went back to laying her head down on her paws. Almost like she didn't find any of them worth her attention. That was...Until Snape came into the common room. When Severus Snape showed himself, Hermione picked herself up off the floor and watched him closely, before wagging her tail happily. The young witches and wizards watched on in amusement as Hermione moved slowly towards a very confused Severus.**

** Hermione grabbed his sleeve between her teeth and pulled him gently to the ground in front of her, and stared into his eyes. She pushed into his mind with a gentle whisper, and his eyes grew wide.**

** 'I need you to come with me. We need a secure place to talk without both sides watching us closely. Meet me on the seventh floor.' she said into his mind. She saw his confirmation in his mind, and she turned and ran out the of the common room. Snape stared after her, completely bewildered.**

** "Severus, what was that all about?" Severus looked over at the other boy and shrugged.**

** "I have no idea, Lucius." he responded before leaving the common room, and heading towards the seventh floor. Snape was going to get answers, and he didn't care if it was a battle of minds to get it.**

** Hermione paced in front of a bare wall on the seventh floor, waiting as patiently as humanly possible for Severus to show. He showed up, just as a door appeared in front of them both on the once was empty wall. She grabbed his robes and tugged him through the door, and put up wards around the entire room. When she turned Severus had his wand pointing at her. **

** "Please put your wand away, Severus. It will do you no good." Hermione rolled her eyes as she moved to a couch in front of the fire, motioning for him to sit on the chair near her. He kept his wand in his hand, but lowered it, watching her closely. "It's good of you to be on your guard at all times, but if you are going to pull your wand at someone, don't just hold it pointing at them while they still have theirs. If I really was your enemy like you believe me to be, I would have had you disarmed and incapacitated within five seconds with how you are reacting. Which is no reaction at all. Now, it makes it very difficult for me to have a completely serious conversation with you if you are still waiting by the door, and I only have a week to get my point across before I have to move onto other plans. Now. Sit."**

** "You aren't here as an enemy?" Snape pocketed his wand and moved to sit near her, in the chair she suggested.**

** "No." She smiled. "In fact, I'm here to try and change a horrible fate for you."**

** "What do you mean?"'**

** "Have you taken the Dark Mark, Mr. Snape?" Snape's eyes grew wide. "You call yourself a Slytherin, I, as a Gryffendor, have more of a poker face than that. Have you or have you not received the Dark Mark?"**

** "No..." he answered, cautiously.**

** "Good, that makes my job ten times easier, and much safer for you."**

** "What do you want." Snape snapped.**

** "Look. You do realize that the Dark Lord wishes to get rid of all muggleborns? Do you know what that means? Complete genocide. He isn't just going to enslave them, he's going to kill them all, and no one here is safe."**

** "I'm joining to keep someone safe."**

** "Yes, well, what happens when she gets in the way of something he wants, what will you do then, hmm?"**

** "I will do everything in my power to keep her safe no matter the consequences."**

** "Even if those consequences lead to her death anyway?" It was a low blow, but Hermione knew it had to be said. She needed to plant a seed of doubt deep into his mind. It seemed to work, because he looked more uncertain than he did when he was dragged in. "I know there is someone in this castle who you care deeply for. And I'm not going to tell you how or why, but I know what happens to her if you join the Dark Lord's ranks. I also know what happens to this world because of what happens to her. It's my job to fix this, and I can't do that unless you help me."**

** Severus sat and watched her, looking for any sign of deceit, but she saw right through him and opened her mind for him. She kept her memories away from him of course, he couldn't know where...or when she came from. Hermione gave him a peak of her emotions. Showed Severus that she was sincere, and he bowed his head.**

** "What do you need me to do?" he whispered.**

** "We will protect you, Severus." Hermione whispered back. "But you can't go back there. You can't go back to him. I will always be by your side if you need me." Severus nodded. "Don't do anything to draw attention to yourself. Stay as far away from the Marauders as possible, and if I am near by, in wolf form, stick to me. I know with your history it will be difficult to be unnoticed by those around you. But try." Severus nodded again. "I'm going to walk with you to class, We should have just enough time." Hermione stood and phased, and he watched her with guarded eyes, as he too, rose from his chair. And the duo left the Room of Requirement in silence. **

** The week went by, and just as she promised, she stayed by his side. Occasionally when his housemates were really bad towards him, she stayed in his dorm with him. Always curled up on the floor in her wolf form, but always wary. Sometimes they would stay up late with their minds open for a conversation with each other. And that was how she warned him where she was going to be on the night of the full moon.**

** 'You can't be serious!' he had snarled into her mind. 'Werewolves are dangerous, stay here!'**

** 'Severus, I can't. The only way to keep him under control and away from the rest of the school is by escorting those three into the Shrieking Shack. Pettigrew used to, but I had to remove him from the picture.'**

** 'Wait...What?'**

** 'Pettigrew was a Death Eater, he had taken the Dark Mark, and he didn't feel remorseful at all. He did it for revenge, and his mind is so clouded with the thoughts of revenge that I can't pull him back into reality on who his Master is.'**

** 'You'll be careful, won't you, Mi?' Severus pleaded.**

** 'Yes Severus.' Hermione sighed. 'Severus I need to warn you. We can be friends, but you can't become attached to me. In a few years, I am going to die. And I'm going to do it willingly. In fact I'm losing years of time every day I interfere with anyone here.'**

** 'You make it sound like you are changing history.' Severus chuckled.**

** 'I am.' Hermione whispered into his mind. He froze.**

** 'You...are changing history...'**

** 'I'm from 20 or so years into the future. I was sent here by a rare object that only appears to those who's destiny is to change events in a timeline to bring balance or whatever.'**

** 'And why does that history have to involve the werewolf?'**

** 'I can't explain Severus. You and Pettigrew were just the start of the changes I made...Several lives have been spared already.'**

** 'If you can't explain, then I'll just have to accept it. Lets get some sleep, you're going to need it tomorrow...being the full moon and all.'**

** Severus and Hermione closed their connection, but she stayed alert until she heard his soft breathing even out. She listened to every sound in the dorm, every boy was sleeping peacefully. She rose to her feet and phased into her human form, and leaned over to plant a soft kiss on Severus' forehead. "I hope you never become the man you were in my timeline. You don't deserve that kind of pain." With that, she left the Slytherin common room completely and made her way outside the castle walls.**

** The moon was beautiful, almost full and bright illuminating the grounds around her as she made her way to the Black Lake. She breathed in the cool night air as she let her mind wander. If all of her meddling made a difference here...Many lives would be spared, and her friends would be happier. They wouldn't know her, but they can't miss what they didn't have to begin with, so that was ok. Hermione knew the circumstances here, she knew exactly how things were going to play out. Her timeline has already changed. Harry had his parents, the prophecy was still a complete secret, and therefore obsolete by the time Harry gets his Hogwarts letter. Neville had his parents still, and didn't have to go to St. Mungo's to visit them. She's done a lot of good already, but Hermione still didn't feel overly successful. After all, she had picked through several Slytherin minds and knew there were a few who were still questioning their positions with the Dark Lord. Regulus Black was terrified. He didn't have anyone to go to because he believed everyone to be in the same boat as he was. Narcissa Black was very nervous knowing that her betrothed had taken the Mark the start of the previous summer, and even she was expected to take it. Lucius Malfoy hadn't wanted to take the mark either, but in order to protect his family and his future wife, he had had very little choice on the matter. **

** Hermione was lost in thought, thinking of the possibilities of talking to the few Slytherin's she knew of when a soft, masculine hand was placed on her shoulder. She stiffened until she smelled a very familiar, if not younger scent.**

** "Shouldn't you know better than to sneak up on someone who could potentially kill you with all sorts of nasty little hexes." she muttered.**

** "I didn't think you would. You looked so deep in thought that I was surprised you couldn't hear me." Sirius spoke from beside her. "I hardly snuck up on you." **

** Hermione cracked a smile. "I'll give you that." **

** Sirius chuckled. "So, what are you doing all the way out here, in human form."**

** "My orders changed."**

** "Dumbledore letting you stay in human form?"**

** "Let me rephrase it...I have changed my own plans, requiring me to be in this form at least occasionally. Plus it's well after curfew, and no one should be out of bed. And I figured the only few who would be undoubtedly roaming the corridors at night would already know of my existence."**

** "I didn't tell anybody..." Hermione turned and looked Sirius in the eyes.**

** "Why?"**

** "Because I figured if you were staying in your animagus form, you were doing it for a reason and didn't want others to know about you. And seeing as I kind of forcefully revealed your presence, I felt I owed you your privacy." he said sincerely.**

** "What a loyal pup you are." Hermione beamed up at him.**

** "What are you thinking all the way out here then, hmm?"**

** "Planning my next move. After tomorrow I'm going to have a month to sway a number of Slytherins away from the Dark Lord. But most of them are in danger of losing their families if they don't join. Your brother included."**

** "My brother is only too eager to join." Sirius spat.**

** Hermione looked back out to the water. "I've seen into his mind Sirius. He's just a terrified little boy being forced into something he doesn't want in the name of honor." She whispered. "There is no honor in following a madman, and killing in cold blood." She looked back into his eyes. "He isn't cut out for what he's being forced to do. Not any more than you are. He just hides it better because he's known his fate since you left."**

** "I didn't leave-"**

** "I know. I was being delicate."**

** "Why do you seem to know so much?" Sirius turned to face her, she looked up at him honestly.**

** "Before I came here to Hogwarts, I knew all of your fates. I know who all will die within the next 20 years. Within the next two years alone your friend James and his future wife will be murdered in cold blood." Hermione whispered. Sirius froze. "You will be framed for it, and will spend the next twelve years after in Azkaban before escaping, only to die protecting their orphaned son, two years later." Hermione looked back out over the water. "Severus Snape will spend the last 18 years of his life as a double agent between the Dark Lord and the Order. Remus will live in the muggle world on and off because it would be the only way for him to find work, and he will believe that you killed his two best friends and Lily."**

** "What about Peter." She saw the rage slowly creep up on him.**

** "Peter has been dealt with and none of that will happen. You will not be framed and thrown in Azkaban, James and Lily will survive, Harry will have his mum and dad, and Remus won't live the rest of his life in a depression."**

** "What are you saying." Sirius snarled, pulling Hermione around to look at him.**

** "Peter Pettigrew had the Dark Mark." Hermione said softly. "I discovered it a week ago, and he has been carted off to Azkaban. The only thing that saved him from the Dementor's Kiss is that he hadn't yet taken a life."**

** Sirius paled, and Hermione regretted telling him so soon. "Why? Why would he join them! He's our friend, he's a Gryffindor!"**

** "He was angry with James, saying that James knew he was in love with Lily." she said soothingly, laying her hand on the side of his face. "And you should know that Slytherins aren't the only ones who are recruited." Sirius hung his head. "And they aren't the only ones who join freely."**

** "What are we going to do? Full moon is tomorrow."**

** "I am going to help you into the tunnel under the tree, and I will stay with you. An extra larger animal might prove useful. I want to be your friend, and I hope that all of you could be mine as well. Even if my time in this world is limited."**

** "What do you mean limited?" he asked alarmed. "Are you sick?"**

** Hermione smiled up at him. "No, but the more time I spend here, the more things I change...The more numbered my days are. I expect I'll only be here for the next 3 years at the most."**

** "Why?" Sirius asked almost pained, and her heart went out to the young marauder.**

** "I can't tell you that. Now, you need to get to your common room before you get caught. Professor McGonnagal has a habit of patrolling long after all the other professors have gone to bed. Specifically to catch you and your friends out of bed." Sirius nodded, but grabbed her hand.**

** "I'll escort you to the castle." Hermione shook her head, and pulled out her wand, tapping him on the head. She gave him an amused smile when he looked at her shocked before his form melted into invisibility.**

** "Be careful, and hurry. When you get to the common room cast a Finite Incantantem and the charm will stop. Go." She heard his foot steps as he ran towards the castle doors.**


	3. Chapter 3

** Hermione waited patiently in wolf form near the Womping Willow for the three marauders to emerge from the castle. She didn't know what time they showed, only that they usually cut dinner quite short in order to get to the Shrieking Shack in time for the change happened. She heard Remus' panting first, the change was already happening, but she knew there would be a little more time before his form started to change. When a young man and two animals appeared in front of her, she went low to the ground and made her way to the knot on the tree, pushing it with her nose. The tree shivered as it stopped all movement, and the trio made their way quickly to the tunnel, two giving her questioning looks, and the third nodding at her in thanks.**

** When Hermione made her way down the tunnel, Remus was already thrashing, trying desperately to escape the transformation, even knowing it was pointless. She watched his change in horrified fascination, sitting close to the entrance, successfully blocking it with her larger size. James, or..Prongs watched her carefully, but acknowledged her strategic placement in the room. She was well away from Mooney, but in such an area that if needed she would be able to block him from going anywhere. Padfoot stayed close to her, almost protectively, and she was able to smell the tension on him. She snorted at him, and both Prongs and Padfoot looked at her curiously. Hermione shook her head at him, and laid down, preparing for a night of chaos. She watched as they gave each other a questioning look.**

** Hermione listened as Mooney panted in the corner of the room, before attempting to stand. It took him an hour before he was able to stand upright without falling over, breathlessly. He slowly made his way over to the door where Hermione laid, before she stood and growled at him. Mooney growled back, and lunged, but Hermione didn't back down, and just as he reached her she stood to the side allowing him a few inches past her, before she took his neck in her strong jaws, and pinned him to the floor beneath her, growling. Mooney snapped his jaws at her, trying to free himself from her grasp, and she heard Padfoot growling at her, and trying to make his way over, before Prongs regally stood in front of him. The stag watched her very carefully, and soon he noticed Mooney calm down and whimper, his pupils dilating. Mooney whimpered at Hermione in acceptance, and she let go of him, and watched as he stood again and made his way across to the other end of the room and laid down. His eyes never left her, and she laid back down in front of the door as if nothing had happened.**

** Prongs and Padfoot glanced at each other again, and in a silent agreement, decided that they would pester the young honey colored wolf animagus until she told them everything. Sirius knew it would be a long and tedious discussion, in attempting to draw out exactly what it is that she had done, but both he and James deserved to know the truth. But before that could even happen, they had to wait till morning for Remus to change back. Sirius desperately hoped that the young wolf wouldn't leave them the moment she knew they had questions. He had a sinking suspicion that she would.**

** It came as quite a shock to three of the inhabitants of the Shrieking Shack to find that all of them had fallen asleep, and Remus was even more shocked to find that somehow, without anyone, except the honey colored wolf, noticing, he had made his way over to her in the middle of the night. He had woken up with her curled up protectively around him, her eyes open and aware, and his head resting near her shoulder. Even with her being in wolf form, he could smell the hint of vanilla and orange blossom that wafted off of her, and then something else decidedly feminine that was her natural scent. Her fur tickled his nose as he lifted himself from beside her, watching those eyes as she watched him move. He had slept through his transformation back into his human form. Something that had never happened before. Sleep had never actually happened before when he was in his wolf form and he wondered where the pretty wolf next to him came from, and who she even was. Sirius didn't seem remotely surprised to see her. He could smell the friendly affection that Sirius had for the girl, like they knew each other. But those eyes that watched him closely spoke volumes about who this young woman could be.**

** "You can change back." He whispered. "If you want... that is." He assumed that she had smiled, even on a wolf's face it was a pleasant sight. She rose to her feet and nuzzled him gently before slipping out of the house through the tunnel that lead back to the Womping Willow. Taking that as his cue, he woke up the other two animagi in the house and they shifted back and followed him out. **

** "Sirius." James started.**

** "I know, not right now, mate. You can trust her though."**

** "How the hell do you know that?" James snapped.**

** "I've met her a few times before. Wish I knew why she chomped down on Mooney's neck like that though."**

** "Showing dominance." Remus muttered.**

** Sirius froze. "Female wolves don't show dominance towards males, Remus."**

** "We aren't wild wolves now are we? I'm a werewolf, yes, but she is a witch." Remus supplied, pushing his friend forward. "I tried to leave the shack, she made sure to let me know that she was in charge, and that I was to stay where I was."**

** "Your eyes dilated. I've never seen that from Mooney before." Remus froze midstep.**

** "Ignore that you ever saw that. It didn't happen as far as you're concerned." Remus snapped. Sirius and James looked at each other in concerned curiosity before climbing out of the tunnel after their best friend. The wolf waited patiently for them to leave the Willow behind before she let go of the knot and ran after them, before shifting into human form.**

** "Well, that was an interesting night to say the least." Hermione said happily before James rounded on her, wand drawn. Hermione's wand hand twitched, but she refused to draw her wand, and watched him defiantly. "Are you going to hex me, or ask me questions? Because you must know that if I were an enemy, hesitating like this would have cost you your life two seconds ago." she hissed at him.**

** "How do you know about us?" he hissed back, Sirius made to step toward them, but Hermione shot a glance at him, and he stopped.**

** "I am unable to discuss that information with you, James." Hermione said calmly. **

** "Why?" James demanded.**

** "It could put me into a very dangerous position." Sirius stepped forward again.**

** "James, she's been here for four weeks. She's done a lot of good so far. Dumbledore trusts her, so I'm going to trust her." Sirius nodded his head as he said that, standing protectively close to her.**

** "Listen, we can't talk out here there are far too many eyes and ears around here. If you want answers, meet me in the seventh floor corridor at lunch. Do not be late or you will lose your chances completely." Hermione reasoned, and turned on her heels, phasing back to a honey brown wolf, she ran off back towards the castle.**

** She stormed through the castle, bustling past early risers to get herself to the Slytherin common room. Upon entering, she saw Severus stand looking at her almost frantically, she pushed into his mind. 'I'm fine.' He nodded. 'At lunch, meet me on the 7th floor, there will be others, please do not hex them. Pass the message on to Regulus, Lucius, and Narcissa.' Hermione turned and left the common room after another slight nod from Severus. She would hide herself in the Room of Requirement until then.**


	4. Chapter 4

** Several hours, and books later she realized that lunch had started at least five minutes ago. Which meant the arguing outside were her companions for today's lunch party...If she could even call it that. She rose from the chair, and drew her wand. "Expelliarmus!" she called sternly the moment she stepped through the door. Seven pairs of eyes looked towards her in agitation. "Honestly, can't any of you be near each other without sending a hex? Get in here already!" She hissed impatiently. Severus and Sirius smiled at her, the others gave curious looks. Remus kept his head down and refused to meet her eye. 'Probably embarrassed about this morning.' She grabbed Remus' sleeve and pulled him toward her.**

** "Look at me." She whispered quiet enough that only he could hear. Remus looked up. "Don't feel embarrassed about this morning Remus." Hermione laid her palm against his cheek and smiled, before turning around and entering the Room of Requirement again, Remus shut the door behind them before taking a seat on the floor near James and Sirius.**

** Hermione stayed standing in front of them, not even worried about the seven pairs of eyes watching her carefully, five were guarded.**

** "Two of you know my story. While some of it is very limited. I know events that are going to happen between now, and twenty years from now. And let me tell you, it isn't pretty." Hermione began, which caught the attention of many. "Lucius, I'm going to start with you. No one say a word, I mean it. Have you taken the Dark Mark?" Lucius froze. "You can trust me, I won't hurt you. And if any of they try to, they won't get very far." Lucius nodded cautiously, Hermione swore, ignoring Severus' raised eyebrow. "Well...that makes things slightly more complicated. Regulus, have you?" The fifth year shook his head no. "Good! Some good news. Narcissa I don't really have to worry about you, you never took the Dark Mark. You were loyal to your family not him." Hermione began to pace. "I have three years to fix this, to get all of this right. To change everything for the better. I guess having a guy on the inside will do me wonders, it's not like we can tell you to leave."**

** "Mi," Severus spoke up, Hermione's head shot up to look at him.**

** "Sorry." she said sheepishly.**

** "Excuse me, but I thought I was getting answers." James snarled.**

** "James, humor suits you better than anger." Hermione chastised. "Anyway I'll give you an edited version. I've seen some negative events that happen for the next twenty years, and I'm going to stop it. I need you all to help me do it."**

** "I'm in," Sirius and Severus said in unison, the expressions on their faces however were quite comical.**

** "I know you two are in, I've explained this to you already. Peter Pettigrew was a Death Eater-"**

** "That's rubbish!" James yelled, standing. Remus looked shocked and hurt. "He was gentle and wouldn't harm a fly! He would never raise his wand at anyone with negative thoughts!"**

** "James, calm down." Sirius reasoned.**

** "Calm down? Sirius how the hell are you so calm about this! He was our friend!" James bellowed.**

** "I am calm because I know. I'm hurt, yeah, annoyed definitely. But I trust Mi enough to know that what she says is the truth."**

** "You've known her for four weeks, we've known Peter for seven years!"**

** "Peter Pettigrew was sneaking off campus to the apparition point three times a week every week." Hermione threw in, forcing all outside arguments to cease. "Dumbledore and I checked his arm, it had the Dark Mark. We questioned him using Veritaserum. He joined to get revenge." James sat down, pale. "He has been taken to Azkaban. The only thing saving him from the kiss is that he hadn't killed anyone. So James, you and Lily are safe now, and Sirius won't have to deal with the horrible fate he had. I have swayed Severus' thoughts of taking the Dark Mark, therefore you are both completely safe. Dumbledore knows how to prevent certain events from happening that are directly related to his own actions. So most of this has been taken care of. Lucius that leaves you."**

** "What do you mean?"**

** "You may want to be a Death Eater now, I don't know. But I know in 20 years you regret this decision more than anything. You betray him to protect your wife and son. Your son was dragged into the war because of a mistake that you made, landing you in Azkaban. Therefore your son was given a task that he was not expected to pass in order to punish you." Lucius paled. When it came to purebloods, family loyalty was more important than any other attachment. "Seeing as you already have the Dark Mark I can't protect you much. But having someone on the inside might help."**

** "You make it sound like I've already accepted." **

** Hermione shot her wand out in his face. "If you value your future, you will accept. If the Dark Lord gains as much power as I've seen, our world will be doomed. It won't stop at Muggleborns, it will go to halfbloods next, and then when there are none of them left, he will start picking off pureblood families for one reason or another. Whether it be questionable loyalty, or a stupid law that one could not even fathom being a law, he will go after the purebloods. And what I've seen of your future, your family will be next. You and your son will be the last of the family line. Sirius is the last of his. In the future I see, there are a good number of pureblood families who are already dwindling out of existence." Lucius nodded, looking defeated. Hermione lowered her wand.**

** "I don't believe in the blood purity talk and beliefs that have been going around." Regulus whispered, staring at his hands. Hermione's face softened.**

** "You were never cut out for it. You realized what was happening in the end, and you died trying to stop it. You were eighteen."**

** "What can I do?" Lucius asked.**

** "Voldemort is making Horcruxes." Regulus, Severus, and Lucius' head shot up. "Ah, good you know what they are. Count on Slytherin." Hermione smirked. "I don't know how many he has right now. The locket of Salazar Slytherin and the Gaunt family ring should already be in existence, as those were undoubtedly the first he made. Next will probably be his diary from when he was in school. In the future I saw, Regulus was given the locket to protect, Lucius was given the diary. I need to know which horcruxes have been made already." Hermione started pacing. "I wish I had a time frame on when everything was created." she swore some more.**

** James, Sirius, and Remus had all been sitting relatively quietly up until that point before James spoke up, agitated.**

** "Exactly what are we talking about?"**

** "Horcruxes are objects in which someone places a piece of his soul. As you can imagine, splitting one's soul is dark, dangerous, and barbaric at best." Hermione supplied.**

** "He's made more than one?" Lucius asked, disgustedly. Hermione nodded.**

** "It's hard to imagine someone making just one...How many does he end up making?" Regulus asked.**

** "Six intentionally, one accidentally." Hermione admitted, Severus and Narcissa paled.**

** "Defense Against the Dark Arts is my best subject," Remus began. "There is a spell in one of the DADA books in the restricted section that would reveal the existence of any horcrux." Hermione's head shot up. **

** "Find it." She demanded, he stood. "Not right now, but I want to see all of you here tomorrow after dinner. We'll set up meeting times. I'm going to give you your wands back and you will not hex each other." With that, Hermione gave all seven people their wands back. "Oh and James?" he looked at her curiously. "This doesn't concern Lily now that Severus and Peter have been taken from the equation. She doesn't need to know any of this." James nodded, disappointed. Hermione smiled and watched as each of them left and went their separate ways.**

** Hermione closed the doors behind her and leaned against them and sighed. She couldn't save Lucius from his fate, but maybe she could save his future son. It was all so complex and the only hope she really had at that moment was Remus and that spell. Sirius and Severus were getting attached already, which wasn't good. Hermione made it very clear to them both that they shouldn't get attached, they knew her days were numbered. It was a dangerous mission Hermione set for herself, a dangerous mission the Timekey had obviously thought only she could complete. She couldn't put roots down. She was merrily a visitor for the time being. **

** "Mi?" a voice asked from within the room. Hermione's head shot up.**

** "Remus!" She gasped. "What are you still doing here? Aren't you going to miss class?"**

** "I felt that we needed to talk about...Full moon..." Hermione blinked. "You know...When I woke up...beside you?" Remus clarified, obviously embarrassed and nervous. **

** "There really isn't anything to talk about, Remus." Hermione said. Remus could see her body language change and her facial expression became guarded.**

** "Mi, James and Sirius told me my eyes dilated. You have to know what that means."**

** "Remus, I simply proved my dominance over you to keep you in the shack. That's it, end of story." **

** "That's not true Mi." Remus whispered. Hermione visibly softened.**

** "I'm going to die in three years, Remus. If I admitted to knowing what you are obviously hinting at, then that gives you hope of us having more. You can't become attached to me. I'm just a phantom as far as anyone here is concerned. I am condemned. The only reason why I'm here is because of a Timekey." Hermione stiffened and pursed her lips. She didn't mean to say too much, but his eyes were slowly filling with dread. She felt as if those amber eyes could see into her very soul, and the sadness, and desperation in those eyes tore at her heart.**

** "Those are very rare..." Remus whispered, wide eyed.**

** "How can you know of them?"**

** "I spend a lot of time in the restricted section..." Remus admitted.**

** "They shouldn't even be in existence in this time."**

** "Knowledge about them is far more rare than the artifacts themselves. I'm assuming that from now and your time, all information about them was destroyed somehow. But I know about them. Not much, mind you, but I've read a little."**

** Hermione moved over to the couch in front of the fire and sat down. Remus could see the wheels turning in her mind and it was obvious to him that she was very intelligent. She was sifting through all of the information she has retained throughout the years that she spent in the wizarding world.**

** "Some information may have been destroyed, maybe copies. But I highly doubt it. I believe that most was moved to a more secure library."**

** "What are you suggesting?"**

** "The Department of Mysteries has it's own personal library. It's twice the size of the library here at Hogwarts, but more of what you would find in the restricted section." Hermione looked up at him, and she could almost see the utter glee on his face. She always knew that Remus was studious, but to find that he was just as excited about the concept of the Department of Mysteries' library as she was was refreshing and she smiled.**

** "What's your real name, Mi?" Hermione pulled up short.**

** "What?"**

** "You're from the future, you are far too clever to let everyone use your real name. I deserve to know."**

** "Remus..."**

** "Dammit Mi!" Remus growled. "My eyes dilated! You were able to establish dominance over me while I was a werewolf. You have to know what that means!"**

** "Hermione." she whispered. Remus took a step forward.**

** "How long do you have?" He whispered, staring down into her eyes.**

** "Three years at the most."**

** "Why can't we make the most out of those years."**

** "Remus-"**

** "No." Remus put his finger up to her lips to stop her. "Don't tell me not to get attached. Don't tell me that I should just throw everything away because your time is limited, because at least I would have had that. You use your imminent demise as a reason for me to stay away, I won't have that time with you. Don't you think I would be happier if I at least had those three years with you rather than be near you but only able to watch you?"**

** "It's dangerous to get involved with a time traveler. You must know that."**

** "If that's the case, than why would Mooney have chosen you as his mate? It isn't a choice really...You must know that." **

** "Remus...You only choose me in this time. Later on down the road you marry someone else, you never look at me as anything other than a friend, a student."**

** "Then this is the time that you and I were meant to be together. This is the time that you were meant to come back to, meant to come to me. Give me this time, Hermione. Don't throw me away when you know what this is supposed to be." Remus gestured to himself. Hermione bit her lip in hesitation, and Remus could see more of an argument in her eyes, but before she was given the chance to voice those concerns, he captured her lips with his own.**

** Remus in her time wasn't bold. He was brave, yes. But when it concerned his own heart, he turned away from his own happiness. But the way his lips moved on hers showed her that he wasn't always timid. He didn't always hold back, and shy away his own happiness to keep others safe. Because of her, he was taking charge of his happiness. Hermione sighed, and leaned more into him. The way he felt against her clouded her mind, and pushed away any doubt that she may have clung to, because in all reality, Remus Lupin was right. He was a werewolf, she was his mate. Hermione's time in this world may have been limited by the very dangerous game that she was playing, but at least they would have that much. At least he would be able to hold onto something of her rather than nothing. Hermione gained her senses and pulled away suddenly and stared into his eyes.**

** "If this is going to happen, it needs to wait."**

** "Why?" Remus glared down at her. He couldn't believe Hermione was still fighting what they both knew was inevitable.**

** "You're in school Remus. I have to stay hidden. The only people who are allowed to even know about my presence here are the ones who I need to work with to change the terrible future ahead of them. I am three years older than you right now. This needs to wait."**

** "No. We have something, even if we won't be able to see each other too often. This is happening. I am not going to sit back and wait for you to come to me when I know that we only have three years together."**

** Hermione stared up into his eyes, and she knew in her very core that he was right. She was scared though, even he had to admit it was obvious. She was from the future, she was on an impossible mission to save countless lives, and she was terrified of her own death. She accepted it when she was sent back to this time, but Hermione was still scared of dying. She was scared of dying before making a difference, before having lived a worthy life. All Hermione had seen since she was 11 was war, and pain, and fear. She had friendship, yes, she had love even. But when it came right down to it, there was a constant prickling sensation on the back of her neck that made her think 'What next? What is this world going to throw at me and my friend now? Will we still stand tall despite it all?' All were worthy questions to ask, and it kept her on her guard, but to die after a life of that, she found it quite pitiful.**

** "I know it's scary, Hermione. You barely know me. But... We can do this even if it is for three years. It'll be hard, but I'll let you go because I'll have no other choice. But even then I will be yours forever and there really isn't anything that either one of us can do about it."**

** "You have to realize Remus... Since I was 11 and came here to Hogwarts... I lived my life looking over my shoulder. Voldemort had something to do with all the trouble in my life every single year I attended Hogwarts, the only year he wasn't present was third year. And then we were told that a mass murderer had escaped Azkaban! I have fought in a war, Remus. And I'm about to fight in another one so that that world doesn't exist for anyone. And I'm going to just fade away. I am going to die after living in war for a decade. What do I have to show for it? Nothing. I have scars from being tortured. I have a scrapbook full of newspaper clippings, and pictures from my school days. I've been happy, but there was always that undertone of fear present in all of us. I haven't lived my life without that slight fear. I felt so messed up that I couldn't make a relationship work, I worked in the Department of Mysteries, not because I wanted to, but because I didn't feel that my life would ever be normal, that I would always need a dose of mystery and maybe a little fear in my life to feel like me. I've forgotten what it was like to just be free of all of that. You are asking for a relationship with a girl who has died time and time again emotionally," Hermione paused and looked down at her feet. "And even after knowing that I am going to die completely in three years, you are still asking me to have something with you. To throw caution to the wind. I'm not that kind of girl. I want to be, Remus. I want so bad to just live for me for once. But the Timekey decided differently."**

** Remus' eyes softened. No one would be able to tell just by looking at her that her life had been full of so much pain and suffering. She held herself confidently, like nothing would ever phase her. But that was a mask. Deep into her eyes he saw darkness that no one would have noticed at first glance. In her body language he saw someone who was fighting for their life at every waking moment. Remus saw someone who cared more for others than herself because she knew she didn't matter anymore. Her time in this world was over anyway. In her mind, Hermione had an expiration date.**

** "Hermione," Remus whispered, pushing a stray curl behind her ear. "I know you don't believe it right now. But you matter. You matter to me, and this world will rejoice what you are doing for it. Even if they don't know about you specifically. Hell, I'll be more than willing to write your story as we go along. But I want you to have happiness. And if you are too afraid to enter a relationship with a man eating werewolf, then I'm going to make you. I'm going to be selfish. Hermione, I can see it in your eyes that you would do anything to make someone else happy, even at the cost of your own happiness. Be with me. Make me happy. I know you are scared, but you will never fade away. I promise you that." Remus leaned down and captured her lips again. His kiss soothed Hermione in a way that she wasn't even used to and she couldn't help but return his affections. She gave in. **

** "All right," she whispered when they pulled away from each other. "But right now, you have classes, and a book to find in the restricted section, and I have some planning I need to do, and the role of watchdog to play."**

** "Why are you playing watchdog?" Remus asked, amused.**

** "I need to protect Regulus and Severus." Hermione looked up at him, and pulled out of his arms. "With them pulling away from becoming Death Eaters their lives are going to be in constant danger, and because I'm the cause of it, I need to stand by them and make sure nothing is going to happen. It would be a hell of a lot easier if they were both in the same year rather than two years apart from each other. Then I wouldn't have to run back and forth between two different rooms."**

** "Ok, well. Be careful." Remus kissed her on the forehead. "I'll do what I can to find that book. I'll meet you here straight after dinner. Make sure that Regulus and Severus know to stick together so you have a little bit of free time before guard duty starts." **

** Hermione nodded as she watched him walk out the door. Suddenly her stay in the past just became a lot more complex than she anticipated.**


	5. Chapter 5

** For hours Hermione sat in the Room of Requirement trying to think of what her next plan of attack was, but everything that went through her head relied on Remus in some way or another. That spell that he had mentioned, was, so far, the only way she could think of to figure out how to find out what and where Voldemort's horcruxes were. The lack of progress bothered her greatly, a lot more than she'd willingly admit. She didn't know what else to do, she paced, she sat and stared into the fire, she read through books, tried to remember the order in which everything happened, but she soon realized that Harry didn't really tell her everything he knew. Dumbledore never really shared his secrets either, which wasn't all that surprising, considering.**

** History books didn't even have everything written down, because who would remember all these names? She didn't know of any deaths until after the Marauders and Lily graduated and joined the Order, which Hermione was sure to join as well. Dumbledore wouldn't really try to reject her seeing as he knew that she was a member anyway. The great thing was though, if anyone in the Order were to doubt her, by the time the school year was over, there would be multiple people who would vouch for her. James, Sirius, and Remus undoubtedly. But Regulus was sure to join with his brother, and Severus was sure to join as well. And if all went well, Lucius might attempt to join privately like Severus did years later. Though Hermione wasn't fond of the idea of that. She would have much preferred it if Lucius came to her and she acted as her spy's keeper. Which was possible.**

** And that's when it hit her. Each person that she had talked to at lunch trusted her. If she were to suggest anything that may help with her cause they would follow her, and support her. Even if she started her own small organization. Secretly of course. Everyone who wanted to join the Order would be able to, but only Hermione herself would be allowed to speak of any of their findings, and only she would be able to decide what was important enough to share. Ultimately, changing the future was her job. Fighting Voldemort and his Death Eaters was her current reason for living because she had people she needed to protect. She had lives she needed to change. Harry needed to have his parents, Neville needed his parents. Hermione needed someone in the Ministry to keep Fudge from taking office.**

** Hermione stood and shifted to her wolf form before leaving the room and heading towards the Great Hall, which was busy and loud as hundreds of voices laughed and talked together. She had two people she needed to find at the Slytherin table, and then she needed to steer Sirius away from dinner. She would talk with Remus after dinner, their planned time to meet, but she didn't have a planned time for Sirius and her to meet, and now was as good a time as any.**

** Hermione bounded over to the Slytherin table with greasy black hair in her line of sight. Nuzzling his side to get his attention she kept her eyes on Severus with her mind open for him. 'I have something to do after dinner so I won't be able to be near you or Regulus, I need you two to stay together and do not draw any unwanted attention to yourselves.' Hermione pushed into his mind when he looked down, she saw his subtle nod before she turned and made her way to the Gryffendor table. Hermione mentally smirked when she saw Sirius flirting with a table mate, and ran up jumping partially onto the bench between the two and licked the side of his face. Sirius jumped and swore before looking into her playful, teasing eyes and started laughing. James and Remus watched her in amusement as she butted her face against his arm.**

** "Well, hello there, girl. What's got you so energetic, hmm?" Sirius teased. Hermione looked up into his eyes and pushed her message into his mind before jumping down and walking over to Remus slowly. She nuzzeled his hand gently before looking up into his eyes. She then turned and left the Great Hall and waited for Sirius to follow her to the Room of Requirement.**

** "Well well well, you've known Remus for 24 hours and already you're dating him. You know Remus really doesn't date." Sirius said the moment he walked through the door. Hermione shifted out of her animagus form.**

** "Remus was quite persuasive."**

** "Ah, surprising, he's the culprit?" Hermione laughed.**

** "I fought him on it. I don't want him getting attached." Hermione sat down in front of the fire the room provided them. "I've known Remus Lupin since I was 13. I've always found him interesting, and I was always able to hold an intelligent conversation with him. Even if he was far older than me. It's strange seeing him this happy. It's a good change. I hope that he never becomes the man he was when I met him, a mere shadow of who he is now. Which with preventing James and Lily's deaths, Peter's pretend death, and your imprisonment, he should never lose the spark he has in him."**

** "You know, while I do so enjoy talking about my friend's relationship, which doesn't happen often, I highly doubt you brought me in here to discuss that part of your trip with me." Sirius sat in the recliner the room provided for him upon request.**

** "You're right. You know, people in the future don't give you enough credit. You know how to use that brilliant mind of yours, you just choose not to." Sirius looked at her and raised his eyebrow.**

** "People doubt my incredible mind? How shocking."**

** "Well, if you were serious from time to time, things might change a bit."**

** "Can't love, with a name like mine, you gotta joke from time to time. You don't want to be too serious all the time."**

** "I've heard better Sirius jokes from you over the years, that one just doesn't come close." Hermione smirked. "Anyway, I had an idea that I wanted to run by you. Since you, Remus, and Severus are the only people who know I'm from the future. I'm meeting Remus later, and I stay in Severus' dorm so I'll be talking to him later tonight about this before getting all of you together."**

** "Wait...You're staying in Snivellus' dorm? Does Remus know?"**

** "Remus knows that I'm currently playing watch dog for two people who were expected to become Death Eaters only to suddenly change their minds. They look like traitors to their house. I'm protecting them. Nothing more, nothing less."**

** "Just wondering, don't get so defensive. Continue."**

** "You, James, and Remus will undoubtedly be joining the Order of the Phoenix when you leave Hogwarts. But our Slytherin accomplices won't be permitted to join us because they are known supporters of Voldemort. They won't really care that they've switched sides because the Order is just as prejudiced as Voldemort is. But instead of attacking muggleborns or half bloods, they attack Slytherin's regardless of their beliefs."**

** Sirius nodded. "I hate admitting it, but it's true. I do admit that I have a hard time accepting Slytherin as anything other than Death Eaters in the making, but even I know that most of them are only following him because they feel as if they have no other choice. Slytherin's stand by those they believe are going to win in the end. They see Voldemort as having all this power, so in their minds Voldemort is most likely the victor." Sirius looked over at Hermione again. "What's your point though?"**

** "Starting our own organization." Hermione said, bluntly. Sirius gave her a confused look. "Our own version of the Order. Any of you who are able to join the Order of the Phoenix are welcome to, but only I am allowed to discuss anything regarding our group, and only I decide what to disclose. Each of us will have our own role, but our Order won't be for lining up in the front lines to take him down, which you can do so if you wish because you will most likely be apart of the Order of the Phoenix too. But I want more to do with research, and spies. And I want to get people into the Ministry to keep their eyes and ears open. I also need at least one person who is in both the Order and the Ministry on my side. I need to prevent Cornellius Fudge from becoming Minister. Because without him in power, maybe we won't have such a dunderhead not believing the truth because he's too scared to admit it's a possibility."**

** "You're adorable when you're frustrated." Sirius smirked. Hermione threw a pillow at him.**

** "I'm being serious!" **

** "You're not doing a very good job." Hermione lifted another pillow to throw at him. "Ok ok. Calm down. James and I have plans on becoming aurors after Hogwarts, we can help you via the ministry. Your idea sounds good, but you are going to have get everyone else on board and figure out what you want to do with it. You have my full support though."**

** "Thanks, Padfoot." Hermione smirked.**

** "You know, I think I'm going to give you a Marauder nickname." Sirius sat up and watched her, deep in thought. "You're a wolf, but not a werewolf. You're a mate for a werewolf so in some way you are a child of the moon. I know!" Sirius explaimed. "Moonpaw!"**

** "It has potential. But what about Mooney? Moonpaw and Mooney would both be shortened to Moon or whatever."**

** "You're right." Sirius looked down, obviously disappointed. **

** "Shadowpaw." Hermione suggested.**

** "That's it!" Sirius exclaimed. "Shadowpaw and Mooney! Both wolves, both shrouded in mystery! Love it."**

** "Well, now that all matters of business are over, go away."**

** "But why, Shadow?" **

** "Because I'm meeting Remus in a few minutes and I would really like to discuss this with him, and I'm hoping that he has that book."**

** "Jeeze, Mi, don't have too much fun." Sirius teased, but stood up to leave anyway. "With a nickname comes an automatic place in our circle. Just so you know." And with that, Sirius left the room.**

** Hermione smiled as she watched the door close behind him. Remus was going to be coming through those very doors soon, she knew, but she still had planning to work on. Hermione didn't really want to rely on Remus the entire time, she never relied on others, it just didn't sit well with her. So having to rely on him for that spell was quite bothersome. Then again, she probably could do the research herself...But he knew the book, it would take less time for him and then they could get all the planning underway.**

** She was so lost in thought that Hermione didn't even notice when the doors to the Room of Requirement opened, revealing a smiling Remus. When Remus noticed she was lost in thought he tried to make noise as he walked over to her, but somehow he still startled her when he laid his hands on her shoulders.**

** "You scared me!" Hermione accused.**

** "I didn't mean to," Remus defended. "You were lost in thought when I came in, I tried making noise, but you were too far gone. What were you thinking about anyway?" Remus sat down beside her and threw his arm over the back of the couch. Hermione chuckled at how relaxed he seemed around her already. She had known him for five years and he never let loose like this around her.**

** "The fact that I feel utterly useless right now." Remus raised his eyebrow at her, but she cut him off before he could say anything. "I know I've saved a few lives already. But I am going to have to keep working to save those lives until after that date passes. My only plan of attack right now relies on you to find that spell, and while I can technically do it myself, it would take less time for you to find it than it would me, seeing as you know what book to look for." Hermione looked up at him. "Which brought me to my next course of action, which I've discussed with Sirius already seeing as you, Severus and Sirius are the only ones who know I'm from the future." Remus watched her curiously, waiting for her to continue. Hermione looked into the fire for a second before looking back up at him. "After graduation, you, James, Lily, and Sirius will all join the Order of the Phoenix. As will I. But those who are in Slytherin won't be able to join for the simple fact that they are Slytherins."**

** "I hate admitting that it's true. I've never really had a problem with the Slytherins, there are a few that I've had rather fascinating conversations with. Most of the Order doesn't realize that not all of them are born evil though."**

** "Exactly. Half the time, the Slytherins haven't gotten a single evil thought in their heads when they are sorted, they are swayed by pure blood loyalists, or shaped into the people they are because of the prejudice they get from all the other houses. Lucius isn't evil, Narcissa on her worst day wasn't evil either. They just acted the way they had to to protect their son and themselves. Bellatrix was evil, the worst sort, I will admit that. But Regulus turned in the end because he didn't have the heart for any of that. And Severus...Severus loves Lily with his every fiber. When he discovered her life was in danger, he put his life on the line to make sure she would be safe. And when she died, a bit of himself died with her, but he fought on to protect her son so that a part of her survived the world." Remus nodded. "I want to start our own Order." Hermione whispered, staring into the fire.**

** "Ok..." Remus encouraged.**

** "Not an Order of fighters preparing for the front line...But a group of people working from the shadows, spies, informants. Researchers. I want members of the Order in our group, I want ministry officials involved, I have at least one Death Eater involved and I plan on finding more who were forced to join. I'm sure there are a few. I just don't really know who they are. Most of the Inner Circle are completely loyal, and no one pays attention to anyone else. The Outer Circle isn't deemed worthy of mention. But I have to try to get others from the inside."**

** "The idea has merit. I just don't know how Sirius and James would handle being in a group full of Slytherins." Remus admitted.**

** "That's what I dragged Sirius away to talk about. He supports the idea fully because he's able to understand that not all Slytherin's are bad."**

** "Yeah, but he's right up there with anyone else when it comes with criticizing the Slytherins. I wouldn't take his acceptance to heart."**

** "I admit, even when I had met him he had a hard time accepting Severus in the Order. But he had spent 12 years in Azkaban because of a mix between Severus and Pettigrew, and before that the four of you and Severus did nothing but fight throughout school. But he is able to recognize that in the privacy of this room, Slytherins are accepted, and they are different towards the rest of us. Once we were in this room, the Slytherins were painfully polite, but they didn't make a single bad remark towards any of you. They didn't do anything to put themselves in a bad light."**

** "That was one time though. That was a single hour of forced acceptance."**

** "You have so little faith in your friend Remus." Hermione looked up at him disapprovingly.**

** "Hermione, I've known Sirius Black since I was 11. He is almost as prejudiced as any of the other Blacks, just to other people. He's not a pure blood fanatic, but he judges people on who their family or house is just as bad as the rest of them."**

** "Remus, when I met Sirius, he had just spent years in Azkaban, and he died two years later. Yes, he was prejudiced, but for the greater good he was always willing to shove all of that aside and try to be at least half way pleasant." Hermione rose off of the couch and stood in front of the fire, looking at him. "I have full faith in him. And the moment anyone pulls their wand out, I'm confiscating them. I can almost guarantee to all of you that my wand work is at least 10 times better than all of you put together."**

** "And why do you say that?" Remus narrowed his eyes at her. Hermione didn't mean to make that sound like an insult, but he had her too worked up to even care. Hermione yanked the sleeve of her left arm up to show him her forearm.**

** "This is what I lived through." She hissed at him. Remus paled and looked almost sick as he stared at the scar on her arm. The word "mudblood" stared up at him, looking freshly healed and bright red. "This was carved into my arm on the parlor floor of Malfoy Manor." Hermione hissed. "By none other than Narcissa's sister Bellatrix. And that is not the only mark that that woman left on me on the floor of that manor. I have scars up and down my arms and legs, and I have internal scarring from an over exposure to the Cruciatus Curse. Because of that woman I will never be able to have a normal life. Because of that woman I will never be physically able to have children of my own. Because of that woman my fiance and I have struggled for the last three years because he can't bear to look at me without my clothes on. Any time he even dreamed of touching me he had to turn the lights off so he couldn't see what that woman did to me."**

** Remus had tears streaming down his face at that point, and Hermione was breathing heavily, trying not to break down and cry right there. Remus looked down at his hands and nodded, if anyone had any right to be prejudiced to these people it was Hermione. But she stood tall and was willing to fight all of them, and stand up for some again all for the sake of saving peoples lives. She wouldn't run, he knew that, it wasn't who she was. She carried those scars on her body every day, and forced herself to show some kind of happiness to the world, even though he could see that half of it was faked.**

** "Lucius, Narcissa, and their son were there. They watched all of this happen to me. And if I can put aside my prejudices towards people who actually caused harm to me, than Sirius can shove his aside for people who hadn't laid a hand on him." Hermione whispered. "Fenrir Greyback was there as well." Remus' head shot up with an angry glint in his eyes. "He's the one that dragged me across their parlor floor by the hair." Hermione knelt down in front of Remus, and laid her hand on his cheek. "I accept you, even if I know that one wrong move and I could get hurt easily. Even after being dragged into the torture chamber by another werewolf, I still accept you. Even after having myself carved open like a Christmas ham, I still stand for those who have hurt me, knowing its the right thing to do. Even after every time I look at Narcissa, I see her telling Bellatrix to use unforgivables on me because she didn't want my dirty blood on the floor. If anyone has any right to be prejudiced, it's me. But I don't let my past rule my head. You have to have faith that Sirius can put it aside as well."**

** When Hermione saw that she wasn't going to get a response, or any movement, from Remus, she sighed before standing up and shifting to her animagus form. She looked over her should as she walked to the door and saw the tears flowing down his cheeks openly. She would allow him this, this privacy to mourn what little of his innocence would be taken from him within the next three years. She would let him decide what he wanted to do. She wasn't afraid of him turning from her because of her scars. She had enough of that from Ron. Hermione couldn't help it, she would have those angry letters engraved in her arm for the rest of her life, and because the knife was cursed, they would always look fresh.**

** The door closed behind her and she ran, she tore through the castle passing students as she went. Hermione didn't care, she had to get away. She threw herself out of the castle doors and down to the Black Lake where she howled her fury and misery. She never let it get to her, the scars, the pain of her past, the failed relationship between Ron and herself. She even tried to ignore that she had been thrown back in time by 20 years just so she could fight again. But throwing her scars out there, delving into the history that Hermione refused to live through every day tore open the wounds inside and she couldn't hold back anymore. Nothing was right, she only knew very few people in this time, and most of them were people who had wanted her dead in her own time. And now here she is fighting for their futures. Fighting to keep them safe, and to change the horrible fate that had been placed upon them because of their actions.**

** Hermione shifted back to her human form and collapsed into a sobbing heap in the grass. For seven years she lived with being called a filthy little mudblood. For seven years she had to fight for her very right to hold a wand with the rest of them. None of it was fair. It wasn't her choice to have been born magical, she couldn't just choose to turn it off either. The magic was apart of her. But because of her magic, she was scarred, her parents were lost to her, she was stuck in a time that didn't belong to her, and she had her life cut short by several years all for the sake of half of the people who caused her the pain that she lived in now. She didn't have her friends to stand by her anymore because they were all 20 years into the future, and they didn't know who she was anymore. She had changed too much already.**

** Hermione felt someone sit beside her, they never touched, and she never looked up to see which of the three would even bother. She stayed silent, and so did he for the most part. But both knew that silence really couldn't last.**

** "I figured I'd find you here." Sirius' voice spoke from beside her.**

** "What are you doing here?" She whispered, never looking up.**

** "Remus hunted me down and asked me to find you. Said he didn't know how to face you right now. Had to work through some stuff first." Sirius looked at the girl with her face buried in her arms. She always looked so brave to him, always witty in her responses, always ready to fight for what she felt was right. It was hard seeing Hermione so broken up, her legs pulled up to her chest, and her arms burying her face. Her hair was frizzier than he'd ever seen it, which made him wonder if her hair was hardwired to her emotions.**

** "I can't imagine being in a different timeline. I can only compare it to being dragged to another country with no access to anyone you had ever known."**

** "Something like that." Hermione sniffled.**

** "Must be difficult knowing most of us, but seeing us as if looking through another's memories." Sirius reached over to lift her face to look at him. Her eyes were a dark chocolate brown, showing the depth of her every emotion, and her face was red and tear stained. She had definitely been out here a while. "You have to know though, that we are here for you. Even those Slytherins in there are. It's not often that any of us, including the Slytherins, come across someone who is willing to put their life on the line for us. The only people who have ever been willing to do that for me are James and Remus. My own family deserted me and hoped for my death every day. Hell, Lily's biggest known dream for the last 6 years had always been for James to fall of his broom, or drown in the Black Lake." Sirius chuckled. Hermione smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "My point is, is that you can lean on all of us. I can't say much about the Slytherins because those aren't a very emotional bunch. But you can come to James and I, and Remus when he gets his head out of his arse and talks to you." This time Hermione did laugh. "What's going on with you two anyway?"**

** Hermione looked out over the lake before sighing. "I told him my idea and while he supports me, he started going on about he wasn't sure how you'd fare with all the Slytherins. I defended you and he fought back."**

** "He has a point. I still have no idea how I'm going to handle being around Slytherins regularly."**

** "Yes, but you are mature enough to ignore your personal prejudices enough if it means defending other people." Hermione looked up at him with fire in her eyes. "Remus doesn't see that. He sees the mask that you put on. The playful, and prejudiced version of yourself. Not the one who matures in the space of a minute for the greater good. I see it, but I don't know how many of your friends would."**

** "They've never seen it because I never really wanted them to."**

** "Why?"**

** "Because I try to hide from being a Black." Sirius said simply. Hermione nodded, only vaguely understanding what he meant. "That can't be what's got Remus so haunted though. And I highly doubt you'd be out here alone, crying for my sake." Hermione sighed, and stood up. Sirius followed.**

** "Get James and Remus to the seventh floor. I'm going to go get the Slytherins. We are going to have an emergency history lesson... or future lesson..." Hermione didn't bother looking back at him to make sure he understood. She simply shifted into her wolf form and made her way to the Slytherin common room where all four Slytherin's were undoubtedly waiting for her.**


	6. Chapter 6

** It was ten minutes later that four Slytherins and three Gryffendors were waiting in the seventh floor corridor, not really sure where the door was to the room they always met in. Both houses kept a firm ten feet from each other, and awkwardly averted their gaze. Remus refused to meet anyone in the eye, and just stared down at his feet, but Sirius knew that whatever bothered him and Hermione was still haunting his friend's thoughts. Which meant it must have been bad. James kept trying to get Remus to talk about it, but Remus ignored him completely, either that or didn't really hear him. All except Remus stood straighter when they saw the honey colored wolf walk up to them before pacing in front of a blank patch of wall three times. All except Remus gasped when the door appeared out of nowhere and all entered.**

** When Hermione phased back into her human form, her usual witches robes had been changed for a muggle tank top, skirt, and sandals. Everyone's eyes were fixed on various scars all over her body, and Sirius noticed that her eyes were guarded, and her very posture was forced indifference. This is what had Remus so haunted. This is why Remus couldn't look anyone in the eye. He pushed a boundary with her, and she showed him what was underneath her confident exterior. Sirius wanted leave the room, smack his friend in the head, and pull Hermione close to him and shelter her from the hard world she had to live in all at the same time. But he chose to do nothing, and watched her carefully, waiting for her to speak.**

** "This is the world I come from." She started in a hard voice. Gone was the playfulness that she had with him the first night, gone was the thoughtfulness she had every other time. And gone was the kind hearted girl that he was so far used to. "In the year 1999 I was captured by Fenrir Greyback with two of my friends. All because one of us was Voldemort's Undesirable No. 1. Harry James Potter." James' head shot up to meet her eyes. "When Voldemort kills James and Lily Potter three years from now, his soul is split and part of it latches onto Harry. Marking him as Voldemort's equal, the only one in the wizarding world that can kill him. Because of this, and the horcruxes, Harry, Ron and I were on the run. Searching for these artifacts to destroy them so that Harry could defeat Voldemort." Hermione looked at James at this, then looked at Narcissa and Lucius. "We were taken to Malfoy Manor." Lucius' eyes widened. "We had something in our possession that was believed to have been kept in the Lestrange family vault. Put there by Bellatrix Lestrange herself." Narcissa's attention was caught at that, and she tore her eyes away from the words carved into Hermione's arm. "Because of this, the boys were taken to the cellar and I was tortured on the parlor floor by Bellatrix." Hermione turned away from them all. She couldn't take the looks of horror and pity that the story would undoubtedly put on their faces. "I was carved up and down my arms and legs and across my chest. And then when Narcissa Malfoy couldn't take my filthy blood being spilled onto her precious floor, I was tortured at wandpoint." Hermione heard a sob behind her, and could only guess that Narcissa was openly crying. Something that was near unheard of from the noble Blacks, outside of Sirius. "By the end of everything, I was fading in and out of consciousness, but somehow my friends and I managed to escape. I can't even remember most of the details." Hermione turned around to face them, Remus' face was in his hands, Sirius stared her right in the eye, not a note of pity or horror in his eyes, only calm understanding. Narcissa couldn't look at her at all, and Lucius kept his arm around his fiancee the entire time. James was crying silently, and Severus and Regulus' eyes were guarded. They showed her nothing of what they were currently feeling. "If there is anyone in this room right now that has any right to feel hate, and anger to anyone it's me. But I don't let any of this touch me. I don't let any of my past rule me into making decisions based on someone else. I will still fight for every single one of you, even though there are only two people in this room who didn't cause me any form of pain in my life. Severus, you were my potions professor, and you did everything in your power to mock me, and belittle me, and make sure that I felt that my intelligence was below average, even after all of the other professors praised my ability, and the whole school considered me the brightest witch of my age. But even after all of that, here I am, protecting you. Narcissa, and Lucius, I was tortured on the floor of your future home, and belittled and called a filthy little mudblood by both of you, and your son. But here I am against my better judgment, fighting for you both, and your son to have a life outside of the darkness that you had in my time. Do I hold anything against you? No. And it isn't because you haven't reached it yet, because I will be perfectly honest with you. I'm nice to you out of necessity. I trust you only because I know the outcome of your actions in my time. I don't like any of you for what you did to me. But I can move past it because I know what is in your heart."**

** Severus was almost hurt by the honesty, knowing that she really didn't like him, even though he believed that after the time they spent together they were friends. But he understood that after everything that the people in this room put her through, it would always be a little hard for her to accept him as anything other than his older self. Lucius and Narcissa didn't know what to make of her. She was brutally honest with them, which they could easily blame on the fact that she was a Gryffendor, but even they knew that she normally didn't talk like this. She sugarcoated certain things for the sake of the other Gryffendors in the room. She hid certain aspects of herself from them all for whatever reason, whether to protect them or herself or both. It didn't really matter what her intentions were because the fact of the matter was...She was fighting for everyone in this room no matter how horrible they were to her, when even Narcissa knew that the actions that she had made towards Hermione should be punishable by death in any other civilization. And the simple fact that Hermione pushed past it, and tried to treat them all with courtesy, even friendship, showed them all the sort of person she was.**

** "Bellatrix isn't like that..." Narcissa whispered.**

** "Forgive me if my arm tells me differently." Hermione snapped back. Narcissa looked like she had been burned, and Lucius growled in agitation. **

** "Don't take this out on Cissy!" He snapped, but Narcissa laid her hand on his to calm him.**

** "She has every right to be angry at us." Severus said from beside her. He looked down at his hands. "We are responsible for any doubts about herself she may have ever had in her time."**

** "James' son has it worse off than me." Hermione said. "Because of your hatred of James and Sirius, Severus, you treated him worse than me. He had Voldemort chasing him at every turn. He lived with his aunt and uncle, and I'm sure that you, Severus, can understand what kind of person Petunia was to him." Severus nodded. "He had to grow up early on, and he did a much better job at accepting things than I did. I will admit, that for a year after he defeated Voldemort he went through a tough time...He hid himself away from us all, and he barely took care of himself because he didn't know how to live without constant danger. He even went looking for it sometimes, hunting down rouge Death Eaters on his own before even going through the Auror training, but he got through it. He was protected because Voldemort demanded the honor of killing him, but because I was muggleborn, I was free game." **

** "We can understand that you pretty much hate us, but you are forcing yourself not to, but what brought all of this up? From what I can tell, before today you had no intention of sharing any of this with any of us." Regulus said. Sirius wanted to smack him for being so rude, but he forced himself to behave for Hermione's sake. When Hermione wasn't around, Regulus was going to get an earful, that was for sure.**

** "I decided I wanted to start an organization. But some of us don't believe that others would be capable of getting past our prejudices enough in order to work together peacefully. I believe that all of you are capable of pushing things to the side to better our world, but I also wanted to force you all to realize what prejudice does to a person. None of us will be able to get past any of our prejudices if we don't try. And then all of my efforts will have been completely useless."**

**o~O~o**

** It was well over 20 minutes before everyone left the Room of Requirement. Hermione never looked away from the fire as each person walked out of the room solemnly. Some glanced her way with mixed emotions in their faces, others couldn't bear to even look at her. Hermione wasn't really surprised by either response. She had opened herself up to these people in such a way that she hadn't even dared open up to anyone else from her own time. Harry and Ron were aware, and had even seen the scars, but they didn't know the fight that she lived through every day to rise above it all.**

** It wasn't until she heard a body hit a wall that she spun around on her heals and realized that Remus and Sirius never left the room. Sirius had Remus pinned to the wall by the color of his shirt, Remus looking surprised, Sirius looking murderous.**

** "I don't care that you don't believe that I'm mature enough to set aside my differences. That doesn't matter. What does matter is that that woman over there just opened herself up to you in a way that I'm pretty sure that she never did to anyone else, and you can't even look her in the eye." Sirius snarled, Hermione was stunned by the violent response she had pulled from Sirius. "That woman has been through more than you could ever imagine, more than I could ever imagine, and you treat her like you're ashamed to admit that you love her! That she is your mate. You don't deserve to be within ten feet of her!"**

** Remus snarled. "I am not ashamed of her! I care about her! It was just shock!" **

** "That is no excuse Remus! She lived through it, not you." Sirius glared. "She had to live through the physical pain of being carved into, she has to live with the emotional and mental scars every day of her life and probably will never heal, and there you are saying that she's your mate, talking her into being with you when she was trying to protect you and herself. What's worse is that the moment you see her you shy away from her like she's the plague! That is not how you treat a woman you supposedly love Remus! That is not how you treat a woman in general!"**

** Hermione stared at both men in wonder. Sirius was right to a degree...But she couldn't really blame Remus for his reaction either. Hermione was used to that treatment from Ron. He shied away from her, he turned the lights off before any thoughts of being intimate were considered seriously. He begged her to wear long sleeved shirts and robes too keep the scars covered up, and he placed glamors over them when she refused. But Sirius' reaction was very new to her. He wasn't shying away from her, he wasn't looking at her with pity, he was defending her tooth and nail to a friend he had known for seven years when he had only known her for a month. And the fire with which he fought was flattering to say the least, but she knew that this had to stop.**

** "Sirius let him go." she said calmly. Sirius and Remus both looked at her. Remus averted his eyes almost instantly, which in turn made Sirius push him harder against the wall. "Sirius." Hermione warned him. Sirius let Remus go grudgingly, and glanced at Hermione.**

** "You don't deserve that kind of treatment Shadowpaw." Sirius whispered to her.**

** "It doesn't bother me, I'm used to it." Hermione whispered back. Remus watched the exchange. "I can't expect everyone to accept me because chances are no one ever will."**

** "How can you be used to that kind of treatment? How can you even accept that from anyone?" Sirius snarled.**

** "What choice do I have Sirius?" Hermione snapped. "I'm never going to be truly accepted by anyone. If turning off a light before being undressed with my fiance brings a small comfort, than so be it."**

** "You can wait until the right person comes along and treats you the way you deserve to be treated." Sirius whispered in her ear after moving closer to her. Hermione couldn't help the shiver that ran down her spine, and took a step back blushing wildly.**

** "Sometimes we believe the right person is the one who is less than we deserve." Hermione whispered back before turning around and leaving the room. Sirius and Remus watched her go.**

** "You love her." Remus accused.**

** Sirius froze and glared at him. "I do not. I care about her, and I feel protective of her because of what she's been through. But I do not love her."**

** "Don't you dare lie to me Sirius, I can smell it on you!" Remus snarled.**

** "She's yours. She's your mate, and it's you that she thinks about, not me. But let me tell you this right now. If you continue treating her the way you are, then I will personally make sure she has a man that makes her feel beautiful despite the scars." Sirius threatened before walking out of the room, leaving Remus standing there alone wishing that the world would consume him right then and there. Anything to avoid the humiliation that he knew he put her through, and the shame that himself felt.**


End file.
